What is the difference between Nitrogen and Oxygen tyres?

When taking care of your vehicle, you will have to deal with a number of pressing questions that relate to whether you need an oil change, how practical a practice it is to rotate your tires and for the sake of this article, whether is there a real benefit in filling your tires with Nitrogen, Oxygen or a combination of both. Provided below is a breakdown of the differences, advantages and disadvantages of choosing between the two.

Overview

Regardless of whether you have been driving for years or come off as a novice attempting to get to grips with your vehicle, it is mandatory to have a clear understanding of what works for tires and what doesn’t. Know that an inflated tire's air composition contains 78% Nitrogen, and 21% Oxygen while the remaining 1% is made up of a host of incidental gasses in the likes of Argon. In the event you replace the percentage of Oxygen with Nitrogen, you may stand to benefit from enhanced durability in your tires as well as in your steel or aluminum wheels.

Tire pressure

Maintaining proper tyre pressure is crucial and carries significant benefits if you decide to fill your tyres with pure Nitrogen or ‘Dry Nitrogen’ which is a common term given to the latter by engineers and mechanics. Specifically, Nitrogen molecules are larger in size and thus, move at a slower pace than Oxygen molecules. Thereby, the Nitrogen will not seep out of your tyre as quickly as Oxygen will and the end result is that your tyres will be able to maintain pressure in them for a longer period of time. The benefits of Nitrogen-filled tires are numerous and can help your vehicle handle better and importantly, can contribute towards greater fuel efficiency.

Purity

Although referred to as Dry Nitrogen, Nitrogen does contain a degree of moisture but is far less than the level of moisture found in Oxygen tires. Nitrogen is a chemically inert type of gas which is dry and is less likely to bring about damage or corrosion to your tire’s interior. Given its lower moisture level, Nitrogen-filled tires are a safer option to factor into your thoughts. Changing gears to the opposite end of the spectrum, with Oxygen in your tires, you will be at risk of experiencing internal tyre corrosion and the oxidation of the steel components in your tires over a period of time.

Availability

Oxygen or compressed air as it is referred to is widely accessible across tyre shops, fuel stations and via portable air compressors. This makes having Oxygen in your tires a better bet owing in part to the fact that you will find it more convenient to maintain the pressure in your tires as against having to work with Nitrogen. Moreover, Nitrogen filling stations are harder to come by and this can be tricky if you are faced with having to travel long distances for work or pleasure. What’s more? Filling your tires with Nitrogen, particularly on the first occasion will take far longer than if you opt to go ahead with Oxygen.

Cost

When it comes to deciding between the two, the cost element invariably leads vehicle owners down the Oxygen road. This is because to inflate your tires with Nitrogen will mean being forced to pocket out ridiculously high prices when compared with using an air pump to pump in Oxygen. The norm with Oxygen is that you will spend less and, on some occasions, not a penny at all. Therefore, from a budget point of view, Oxygen-filled tires are the clear winner.

Temperature stability

On the topic of temperature stability, tires filled with Nitrogen are more prone to exhibiting reduced pressure fluctuations when confronted with variable temperatures. This situation translates to superior handling of your vehicle and a safer drive. On the flip side, while Oxygen-filled tires are not exempt from suffering from pressure fluctuations, the extent of the fluctuation is a cause for concern. This is attributed to the fact the Oxygen molecules are smaller than their counterparts and are more susceptible to escape through the tire’s rubber. As a consequence, you will need to conduct pressure checks on a frequent basis. The aforementioned factors and points warrant going over even when researching industrial tire manufacturers and their services such as GRI Sri Lanka.